


Cat Got Your Glossa?

by PhantomPhan16, VicenteValtieri



Series: Role Playing Fanfiction [25]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Slavery, beastformer, functionism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26056984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhantomPhan16/pseuds/PhantomPhan16, https://archiveofourown.org/users/VicenteValtieri/pseuds/VicenteValtieri
Summary: A lifepod containing a cybercat might be the key to ending the war.
Relationships: Ratchet/OC
Series: Role Playing Fanfiction [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/559048
Kudos: 8





	Cat Got Your Glossa?

Every Cybertronian signal in Earth’s solar system was cause for investigation. Even one from such an old and defunct pod landing in the Nevada Desert not far from the Ark. Optimus led the exploration team along with Ratchet, Hound, and the twins.  
They came upon the pod half-buried in a crater, but intact. And their scans didn’t show any hostilities from it.  
Clear, they opened in, and the occupant tumbled out, still in not awake.

Optimus checked the mech's frame. "No spark."  
Ratchet did a scan taht turned up the same. "Sorry, Optimus. The ship must have been on autopilot."

"Uh, Prime, there's something else in here," said Sideswipe.

Optimus turned on his high beams and looked into the pod. Across from them was a Cybercat whose colors had blended with the shadows. Optimus reached in and picked him up, bringing him out. He was still warm. "Ratchet?"

The medic came over at once and took the animal into his arms. The blue and black plating had almost perfectly camouflaged him in the shadows.

"He's alive, Optimus. Poor thing must have gone into stasislock after his caretaker died." Ratchet transformed. "Load him in, I can get him out of it at the Ark."

Optimus loaded the feline in, and Ratchet raced away.

At the Ark, the rest of the Autobots slowly grouped outside medbay. It had been so long since they'd seen an animal from Cybertron that there was a lot of excitement in the group.

Ratchet slowly and carefully brought the Cybercat out of his stasislock.

Optimus hovered nearby, ready to assist if necessary. For the moment, he was just stroking the Cybercat's ears and neck, hoping to keep the creature calm as it woke. When their optics blinked on, Ratchet stepped back a little. "He'll come around soon."

Slowly the feline began to wake. He made soft chirps then slowly opened his optics and looked up at the Prime.

"Hello there, little one." Optimus opened his battlemask and smiled. "You've been asleep for a very long time." He stroked the Cybercat's neck and back as he began to sit up and look around, ears perked and sensing.  
"I think he's gonna be fine." Ratchet reached out and petted the cybercat as well, gently running his digits over the smooth plating.

The feline purred and leaned into their touches.

"Well, you're just a loving little thing." Ratchet cooed. "...Optimus, he probably shouldn't see everyone else yet. He'd get overwhelmed with everyone wanting to pet him and such."  
"I will ask them to disperse." Optimus scratched behind the cat's ears for a moment. "But they should see him eventually."

"Eventually, but for now he needs time to shake off the stasislock completely."

"Very well." Optimus went out to talk to the Autobots who were eager to see the Cybercat.

Ratcher found a collar with a name tag. "Cas, huh?"

The Cybercat purred when Ratchet said his name and the doctor rubbed his helm. "Want some energon, Cas? You must be running low after so long in stasis."

He meowed and nestled against the mech, rubbing and purring.

Ratchet chuckled. "Hey there, cuddlebug. You're just a big ol'softy, cute little thing."

"Come on, lets get you some energon." Cas jumped down and followed him.

Cas flicked his ears as he looked up at Ratchet. The beastformer was used to following other mechs to energon or such. The medic himself seemed nice enough, better than some owners he'd had over the vorns since his birth.

His last owner must be dead if he wasn't here. It was sad, but it was part of his life.

He'd bounced from servo to servo after the war started. He never seemed to be able to find an owner who would survive. His last one had taken him and fled Cybertron in a life pod. But Cas couldn't smell or sense him.

He sat down for a moment and made a distressed sound. Ratchet turned at once.

"Hey, what's wrong, sweetspark?" Ratchet gently scratched his ears and rubbed his neck to make him feel better. "Are you missing your owner? He's not here, baby, I'm sorry, but we'll take care of you."

Cas gave a feline sigh and jumped up into Ratchet's arms.

Ratchet hugged him close and pulled him to his chassis. "Easy, kitten. Easy. We'll get you some energon and you'll be safe here."

He was nice, and Cas felt he would like to stay with this mech.

Ratchet poured an energon cube into a dish for Cas and petted him as he drank it up. A bit later, the two minibots - Bumblebee and Cliffjumper - came into the medbay.

He turned and stepped between them and Cas. Bumblebee had various dents, dings, and looked liked he'd rolled into a ditch or something. "What happened, Bee?"

"Was ambushed by a Seeker patrol, that's all. We got away." Bumblebee sighed.  
"A seeker patrol?! Where were you?" Ratchet threw up his servos.

"Down the canyon by the river. We were just sitting there enjoy the nice day."

"Ugh. Those sons of guns get bolder every day." Ratchet angrily muttered.

"Up on the berth, Bee." The scout obeyed, and Cas jumped up to investigate. Who was this? He smelled nice if a bit dirty.

"Hey, is this the cybercat Prime found?" Bee asked, cuddling Cas as he came close.

"Sure is. His name's Cas." Cas meowed and purred.

"Hey, Cas." Bumblebee nuzzled him as Ratchet began straightening dents and fixing up Bee's injuries.

He was very nice, but Cas decided he liked the medic better.

The other Autobots made trips to the medbay to see Cas. Wheeljack brought in a large, padded rubber and poly-fiber berth for Cas to sleep on and Ratchet set it in his office.

Cas slept in it but also slept where ever he felt like sleeping. He also baffled Ratchet by managing to take up far more space than he should have been able to when he stretched out.

The Prime was Cas's second favorite person. He always had goodies for Cas.

"How are the Autobots, Ratchet? Any injuries I should know about?" Optimus asked as he held Cas in one arm and stroked him with the other servo.  
"Just the usual, Prime. It's war, we're going to get banged up. Don't drag yourself through the dirt because of it."

Cas was licking the remains of an energon treat off the Prime's servo, purring. "I know, but-" "No 'buts', Optimus. We're soldiers in a war. It's the way of things."

Optimus sighed and didn't say anymore on the topic. "Is Cas settling in well?" He hugged the Cybercat when the sticky treat was thoroughly gone.

"He's done a damn good job of taking over my medbay if that's what you mean." Optimus chuckled.

Cas gave a purr and almost looked smug from his perch in the Autobot commander's arms.

"He's just being a cat, Ratchet."

"I know, but he's a very smart cat who knows how to run my medbay for me."

"Who's a good kitty?" Cas purred and chirped cutely.

"You are, and you know you are." Optimus cooed to him.

"He certainly does know it. He knows a lot."

"He is very smart for a cybercat." Optimus ruffled his neck and set him down gently. "I need to go to a tactical meeting."

Cas huffed and followed him out, meowing up at him.

"Oh, does someone want more attention?" Optimus chuckled, unsubspacing a second treat and offering it to him.

Cas happily took it and crunched on it as he trotted after the Prime and into the war room.

He slipped under the table and rubbed up against the other Autobots as he made his way over to the head chair where Optimus was settling in. Jazz slipped a hand under the table and began scratching Cas's favorite spot.

He stopped and leaned into the scratches happily, purring and making other happy sounds.

"Hey there, kitty-kitty." Jazz crooned quietly as he scritched his way up Cas's side and to his neck. "Who's a happy kitty?"

Cas enjoyed the scratches for a while longer then made his way Optimus and climbed into his lap.

The Prime gently petted his helm as he began the officer's meeting.

Cas perked his audials up and listened, occasionally nudging Optimus' servo for more attention.

Optimus scratched his ears as he discussed potential ambushes for the Seeker patrols plaguing Autobots around the Ark. "...Bumblebee was most recently attacked a few miles from the Ark itself. If the Decepticons discover our location, they may attack in force."

"What are our options?" Jazz asked.

"We can attempt to lure them away by creating a false signal further out in the desert." Wheeljack suggested. "Maybe even a moving one - make them think we pack up every now and again."

"Not a bad idea, Jack." "How soon can it be done, Wheeljack?" Optimus asked.

"I can get a drone out there and get it moving around pretty quickly. Won't fool them for forever, though."

"It will at least buy us some time." Cas jumped down and trotted out. He wanted to see outside the ship. He'd go pester Ratchet until his caretaker took him outside.

Ratchet was taking stock of his medications and muttering to himself. Some things, he just couldn't make or get anymore and they were running out.

"Meeow!" came behind him, a demanding tone to it.

Ratchet looked over his shoulder to see Cas. "I'm busy, Cas. What do you need?"

He meowed and twisted around, trying to get the medic to follow him.

"Cas, I really - " He sighed and looked back at the shelves. "All right, but only for a little bit."

Cas led him to the main door and cried plaintively. "You want to go outside huh?"

Cas meowed and rubbed against his knees. "All right, all right. Let's go outside for a bit then."

He opened the door, and Cas ran out.

The Cybercat rushed around, looking over the valley the Ark had come to rest in and sniffing at trees, rubbing up his plating along them or sharpening his claws as he pleased.

Ratchet sat down and watched him with a smile. Cas took a flying leap into the lake. He was a unique one all right.

The medic watched Cas as the twins and minibots came tumbling out of the Ark, wrestling and shooting each other with water guns.

The twins spotted Ratchet and went on the attack.

Ratchet spluttered and cursed. "Dammit! Sunstreaker, Sideswipe, when I catch you, I'm going to weld your helms to your afts!"

Cas heard him and came running. With a roar he jumped onto Sunstreaker, who was closest to him.

Sunstreaker toppled and Sideswipe yelled in protest. "Ratchet, call him off!"

"And why should I? He's being protective, and maybe this will finally teach you two to be respectful when mechs don't want to be targets of your damned pranks.'

"He's hurting Sunny!" Sideswipe yelled back, growing visibly angry as he transformed out a blaster.

"He's not hurting Sunstreaker, but if you hurt him I'll put you in the medbay myself, Sideswipe!"

"Get him off!" Sunstreaker was unharmed, but Cas was standing on his chassis and he couldn't get up.

"Cas, come here." He looked at Ratchet and whined. "Come on. I'm not hurt."

Cas climbed off of Sunstreaker and ambled over to Ratchet, sitting next to his pedes.

The twins retreated back inside, and Cas lay down with his helm in Ratchet's lap.

"Thanks, kitten." Ratchet stroked his ears.

He purred and gave a feline chirp.

Ratchet relaxed back a little. "...It's nice to look up at the sky here and see it calm. There's so much I can't do anything about, Cas."

His audials perked up to catch his voice, and his tailed flicked contentedly.

"I know you don't understand... But we're in trouble, Cas. Some of the men are walking wounded. I patch them up as much as I can, but we need some things that we can't get off of Cybertron. We need our home back and we're just not going to get it."

The Cybercat whined, a sad sound, and nestled closer to him.

"I'm sorry for dumping this on you... Really, I shouldn't complain. What we have is good enough. I can't erase the scars, but I can patch the energon lines. That'll work for now." He hugged the Cybercat and nuzzled into his neck. "Good boy."

Cas purred and got as close as he could then right into Ratchet's lap.

Ratchet grunted as the large cat practically crushed him. "All right, I love you too."

He was licked and nuzzled for his trouble. At least Cas was affectionately crushing him.

The medic scratched Cas's neck and ears. "Come on. It's time for evening energon."

Cas jumped off and pranced around him as he got to his pedes. "Yeah, you hungry?" "Reow!"

"Yeah, you're hungry." Ratchet patted his head and led the way back into the Ark to get Cas his dinner.

Cas took to roaming the corridors whenever he pleased, checking in on his favorite mechs and wheedling out treats wherever he wanted.

Cas stretched and bounded after Ratchet as the Medic hurried to the groundbridge where hte rest of the team was waiting. "Dammit, Cas wait here!" Ratchet told him.

He hissed and stayed right on the mech's heels, pushing his way into the group set to go to fight.

"Cas!" Ratchet called after the cat as he bounded out iwht the frontliners.

He ran after and the battle was on. He lost sight of Cas quickly in the chaos. When he saw him again it left him stunned. Cas was stuck to Megatron's front by his claws, fully extended and dug into the warlord's armor, biting the tank's face! Just to the side of him Optimus was getting up.

Megatron roared in rage and grabbed Cas, trying to push him off. "Starscream, you buffoon - Aid me!"

The feline roared back and lunged again to bite his face, fangs digging in and tearing as he shook his helm, savaging the warlord's helm.

Said Seeker was off to the side, watching in unconcealed amusement. "Cat got your tongue, Lord Megatron?"

"Soundwave, release Ravage!" he howled, energon running from the wounds the Autobot beast was inflicting on him. Others around the battlefield were now stopping and staring at the cybercat brave enough to take the warlord on and apparently winning.

Ravage roared and came bounding over from the Communications officer. She leapt into the air for Cas's back.

Cas's audials swiveled backwards, and suddenly he released Megatron and dropped, causing Ravage to collide with the tank instead of him. Starscream's optical ridges rose. Smart cybercat.

Megatron - cursing everyone - scrambled backwards. "Retreat!"

The Autobots laughed the Decepticons away, still in disbelief themselves at what had just happened. The ferocity in Cas vanished once the Decepticons were gone, and he bounded to Optimus, purring and looking as smug as a cybercat could look.

"Good boy, Cas." Optimus cooed and petted the cat. "Come on, Autobots, home!"

Ratchet came over. "You are unbelieve... and you need a bath."

Cas purred and rubbed into Ratchet, letting the Medic hug him and fuss over him.

"What happened, Optimus?"

"What happened, Optimus?"

"Megatron dropped me and Cas jumped on him before he could try to fire at me."

"Brave boy. Naughty boy. You about gave me spark failure."

"I'm leaning more towards brave boy." Optimus picked up Cas and held him close in his arms. "Good boy."

Cas purred happily and snuggled in.

They all sat down for a ration of energon and some of Wheeljack's "firecracker" goodies in the common room. It soon grew into a raucous party as the twins and Skyfire reenacted the famous attack on Megatron while Jazz threw in quips. In the chaos, none of the mechs noticed their commander slip away.

Optimus slipped out of the base and into the cool night.

He climbed up to the top of the ark and settled there, sighing and staring into the sky. It had been a better battle than normal. No casualties and the Decepticons had been dealt a blow - even if only a moral one.

Still... he was ready for the war to be over. It had been going on far, far too long.

There was a soft step on the Ark's roof and he looked down. Cas was beside him, purring and rubbing into the Prime. "Oh, hello, Cas. Was the party too much for you too?"

He gave a feline chirp as if in answer. Sometimes Optimus wondered just how much he understood. He was strategically smarter than Ravage – which was shocking to the Prime. "...You did a very brave thing today." Optimus murmured to him. "Thank you for saving me."

Cas nuzzled him, purring, and the Prime smiled. He was such a sweet thing.

"Don't put yourself in danger for me, though. I would be very upset if you were hurt." He scritched Cas's ears and chin. "...Sometimes I wonder if Megatron keeps fighting just because I'm still here to oppose him."

Cas climbed into his lap. "You'd miss me, though, wouldn't you? Sometimes I wonder... if the others would miss the Prime more than just... me."

Optimus stroked Cas's back and rubbed his neck carefully. "It must be so simple to be a cat..." He hugged him close to his cheek and looked back up at the cold and unforgiving stars, looking for Cybertron among them.

Cas curled into him, and Optimus carried him back inside. Ratchet found them in the hall way. "There you two are."

"Just looking at the stars, Ratchet." Optimus handed Cas back to the doctor, who grunted with the effort of lifting the cybercat and set him down. "Have a good rest."

Cas looked between them then pranced after Optimus. He knew where he was needed tonight.

"Well, I guess I'm ground scrap." Ratchet chuckled and patted his back. "Good night, Optimus."

"He's a cat, Ratchet, he sleeps where he wants." "I know. Go on, see you in the morning." "Good night, Ratchet."

Optimus led Cas to his quarters and opened the door, letting the cat follow him in. “Curl up wherever you want. I have some desk work. It won’t take long.” He told Cas, running a servo along his back and sitting down at his desk. There was a large tapestry hanging beside it – no particular pattern, just a hanging cloth.

Cas went over and sniffed it, examining it.

When he nosed under it, he found the wall behind it was riddled with dents.

He knew that wasn't good. Ratchet needed to see this. Ratchet could help Optimus.

Optimus was going through tactical drawings and battle plans at his desk, murmuring and making changes as he went. He emphasized defense, as always, but made sure to leave room for offense.

He heard his door open and shut. Perhaps Cas had changed his mind and had gone to sleep with Ratchet after all.

Optimus had grown to hate open ground. If there was plenty of room for his men and himself to move or even drive, there was even more room for Starscream and his Seekers to rain hell on them. The Autobots didn't have an air force. The Aerialbots were mechlings masquerading as soldiers and Skyfire wasn't a warrior: The Seekers flew loops around them. And, on some level, Megatron knew that. Damn, damn, damn, and frag it all! One servo shot out in a punch directly into his wall hanging. Another dent.

Ratchet was about to settle down for the night when Cas ran in with distressed cries.

"Mph." The Medic lifted his helm. "What's wrong, Cas?" He sat up and rubbed his optics.

Cas ran to his berth then back to the door.

"All right, I'm coming." Ratchet stood up and followed Cas down to Optimus's quarters at the end.

The Prime looked up. "Ratchet, did you need something?" "Somethin's botherin' Cas."

"Oh?" Optimus sighed and put his computer on sleep mode. "What's wrong, Cas?" He stood up and came around the desk.

Cas ran over and began pulling at the tapestry.

"Cas, no, that's not a toy!" Ratchet scolded, rushing to stop the cybercat as he pulled the tapestry rod out of the wall. "What the slag - ? What happened to your wall, Optimus?"

The Prime was silent. "Optimus?"

"...I get frustrated sometimes." Optimus took the rod and tapestry out of Cas's mouth. "That's all."

"This isn't how you handle that, Optimus!"

"Ratchet, it's superficial damage, and I am unharmed." Optimus wearily replaced the hanging. Times like these, he missed Rung.

"Maybe you are physically." "Ratchet, please..."

"I may not be a psychiatrist, but I am your friend, aren't I?"

Optimus sighed. "Of course you are."

"Then talk to me about what's bothering you."

Cas nudged Optimus' servo as if to encourage him.

Optimus sighed and sank into his chair. "We don't have an air force. We have no way to counter the Seekers. If Megatron ever figures out exactly how vulnerable or if they get sick of dodging the aerialbots and decide to take them out of the sky..."

"Believe it or not the Seekers have more honor than that. The aerialbots are actually the ones who are most safe from them due to Seeker's strong sparkling protocols. They're not adults, Optimus, and the Sekers have never fought seriously against them, not like us."

"I know that." Optimus sighed. "...It's the only reason I let them out with us. But accidents happen."

"None of this is on you, Optimus." "And how long will Megatron drag out the war because I'm alive." "Get your helm out of your aft!" Optimus sat back, a bit startled at the sudden attack. "It's not about you! It's about Prime. As long as there's a Prime Megatron will fight until he dies because he can't stand the idea of Primes. His hate twisted him from opposing Sentinel to opposing the Matrix itself and what it represents. It. Is. Not. You."

Optimus ran a servo down his faceplates. "...What should I do, Ratchet?"

"Stop trying to save him." He looked up. "Don't act so surprises, Orion, I've known you longer than anyone else alive, remember? You've had plenty of chances to take Megatron out, especially recently, and yet you always let him go. You always try to convince him to try peace, even though we all know peace will never happen while he's alive."

"Are you really certain his death will end it?"  
"Entirely? No. There are going to be hold out fanatics. But the major Decepticon force is held together by Megatron's force of personality, and physical force."

"Besides that his Second is Starscream, and while Starscream hated Sentinel more than Megatron, he doesn't hate the idea of a Prime, at least he doesn't hate you. He sees the difference between you and Sentinel, and he has his Seekers to think about. He'll put them first over the war. It's how Seekers work."

"You think if Starscream takes command, he'll open peace talks." Optimus sighed. "Maybe. I don't know. I'll think about it."

"Good." He stood and cuffed the Prime over the helm. "Ow!" "The next time you need to hit something to work off frustration take it to the gym!"

"Yes, sir." Optimus muttered, standing up.

"Now go to berth. Doctor's orders."

"All right. See you in the morning, Ratchet." Optimus petted Cas and saw them out o fhis quarters.

Cas’s presence on the field was becoming expected. The Cybercat always wanted to be there with his mechs. Especially today. He could sense a change in Optimus’s demeanor that morning as they prepared. Something in the air – anticipation and dread. The Prime must have come to a decision for how to proceed.

He nosed the Convoy's servo in an attempt to comfort him, chirping.

Optimus stroked his ears and back. "Stay safe, Cas. Protect Ratchet." Optimus told him.

When they clashed Optimus didn't hold back, and Megatron felt it in the first, crushing blow the Prime dealt him. Optimus wasn't pulling punches anymore. He wasn't holding back anymore. Skywarp was terrorizing Ratchet, warping around him so the medic could get in a good shot.

Megatron grunted and brought his cannon to bear. The Autobot Commander dodged underneath it, rolled into his transformation, and then hit him like only an angry truck could.

Skywarp laughed as Ratchet staggered until something jumped onto him off. Claws sank into his armor, and an angry roar told him the cause.

"Bad cat! Get down!" Skywarp cried as he tried to shake Cas off.

Cas snarled and hung on. He wouldn't let the Seeker hurt his Ratchet!

Skywarp teleported away. "Starscream, Thunder, help me!"

His brother and mate rushed to him to pry Cas off.

Starscream stunned Cas with his null rays. "Slag, warp." Thundercracker looked at him. "Let's get back to base and fix you up, he did a number on you."

"Lets take him with us." "Are you out of your mind, Star?!"

"This Cybercat is clearly unique. Get to base and tranquilize him until the rest of us get back. There's something I have to do." Starscream turned. "Go."

"... All right..." Optimus was pushing hard, and Megatron found himself hard-pressed to keep up. Optimus was built for war, for battle, and he was much younger than the tank. It was starting to show.

He spotted Starscream on a bluff above them. The Seeker had his arms folded and one pede up on a rock, watching with hawk-sharp optics.

He didn't have long to think on it or even to call out for help before Optimus was knocking him silly again.

Optimus drove Megatron to his knees and fell on him, trying to force him to submit.

"Surender, Megatron. This war. Is. Over."

"This war. Will never. Be over!" Megatron bellowed, pushing himself to his feet and throwing Optimus off his shoulders.

That cinched it for Starscream. Megatron no longer cared about keeping the promises he made so long ago, he wanted war for the sake of war now.

While Optimus was picking himself up and there was enough distance between him and Prime to make the maneuver safe, he opened his chassis launchers and unloaded all twelve clusterbombs.

Optimus looked up as Megatron disappeared in the explosions/

Starscream closed up his launchers. He'd dropped his entire payload on the tyrant, now it was up to the Prime.

Megatron was beyond help now, and Optimus silently put an end to him with a single shot from his rifle.

"Decepticons." Starscream opened his comm. "Megatron has fallen. Retreat."

They were gone by the time Optimus reached Ratchet. "They took him!" "What? Took who? Ratchet, calm down." "They took Cas!"

"The Decepticons took Cas? Did you see it happen? Are you sure he's not just here on the field?"

"Skywarp warped away with him, and I haven't seen him since!"

"We will contact the Decepticons later and ask. For now, let's tend to those who are here."

Back at the Nemesis Starscream found his trine and the drugged cybercat.

"Megatron is gone." Starscream stated as he came up beside the healing Skywarp.

"Good. So why did you want the crazy cat?"

"Because this crazy cat strikes me as odd, and I wanted Soundwave to confirm something for me." Starscream turned to the cassette deck. "What do you think, Soundwave?"

Thundercracker and Skywarp exchanged confused looks at the cassette deck examined the cybercat.

Soundwave straightened. "Cybercat: Tamed Mech." He told Starscream.  
The Seekers flinched. "He's been tamed?!" Skywarp shrilled.  
"Can we fix him?" Thundercracker asked.  
Soundwave shook his helm. "Skilled surgeon required."

"Not Hook. He'd kill this poor mech trying." "Who then?"

"Ratchet." Starscream stated, turning away. "I was going to contact Optimus Prime anyway."

"You what?" "The war is over. Now we try for peace... like we should have a long time ago."

"Some mechs aren't going to like that, Stars."  
"Some mechs will just have to deal with it." Starscream squared his wings. "I'm going to make peace. You're welcome to come with me."

"Of course we're coming."

"Good." His wings flicked in relief as they made their way up to the command center. Starscream barely got out the comm signal before Optimus Prime was answering.

"Starscream, you have-" Ratchet pushed into veiw. "Give him back, dammit!" "Ratchet, control yourself! Jazz, Prowl, take him outside!"

Starscream raised an optical ridge. "Are you referring to the mech we took prisoner during the battle?"

"What?!" Jazz, Prowl, and Ratchet froze. "The cybercat is a tamed mech, Prime."

"A tamed mech...?" Optimus's optics brightened. "We had no idea."

"Many have forgotten such things, but yes he is."

"Is it reversible?" Ratchet crowded back in.  
"Yes. But you would be the best to perform the procedure."

The medic nodded at once. "Of course I'll do it,:

"Then we'll return him when you arrive at these coordinates to begin peace deliberations." Starscream sent a set of coordinates - a place in the desert where they wouldn't be bothered by humans.

"Very well. We'll be there shortly."

Starscream cut the comm and he and Soundwave deliberated briefly on who to bring in. They decided on Starscream's trine and to keep the peace process secret for now.

They brought Cas to the agreed place and waited. It didn't take long for Optimus, Ratchet, and Jazz to arrived.

"For obvious reasons, we've kept him sedated." Starscream explained as they handed him over to Ratchet. "We think explaining that he's a mech and what's going to happen when his t-cog is reactivated would best come from you."

He nodded and held Cas close as he came around. At first the poor thing snarled and roared, disoriented.

When he came to and noticed he was in the medbay with Ratchet, he calmed down almost at once, purring and chirping to the doctor.

"Hey, sweet. Listen,... we, uh, we found out somethin'. ... Somethin' about you." Cas cocked his helm.

"This isn't going to make a lot of sense to you, but Cas... You're a mech. Like me and Optimus. Someone did something to you to trap you in your cat mode." Ratchet gently stroked his ears to keep him calm. "But we're going to fix it."

He made a questioning and distressed sound. "I know it's confusing, but we're going to fix this. You trust me don't you?"

Cas laid his head against Ratchet's chassis and purred softly. Yes, he did.

"Good. We'll make this right. I'll make it right."

Cas pressed into him, nuzzling Ratchet's faceplates.

He chuckled. "It's gonna be okay."

Ratchet kissed his helm. "You're gonna go back to sleep for a while now. When you wake up, you'll be in mech form, all right? But I'll be right here."

Cas whined softly. "It's okay. I'll be right here. I promise."

Ratchet gently anesthized his friend again, petting him until he was well into stasis.

He set to work as soon as everything was ready.

When he triggered the newly activated t-cog, he didn't know what to expect.

Cas shifted and changed into a slim, nearly Seeker-sized Carrier Mech.

Ratchet stood back briefly and took it in. Even when he'd found the inhibitor in the mech's t-cog, he'd hoped they were all wrong. And yet here he was. Clearly a mech.

A Carrier mech at that, and a beautiful. He would have to teach Cas early on about consent.

He brought Cas out of it gently, staying nearby and holding his servo as he woke in his mech body - possibly for the first time.

Ocean blue optics onlined, and he slowly looked around.

"Cas?" Ratchet asked, keeping his voice soft. "It's me, Ratchet. How do you feel?"

Could he even speak? Would he have to learn?

Cas made soft sounds in his vocalizer. They sounded more like purrs than words, but he began to make soft noises. "Rrr... rr.... Rraaa... Ratchet?"

The medic smiled. "Yes, that's it. Lets sit you up, slowly now." He helped Cas sit up slowly, and the mech looked himself over.

"Yeah, this is you. Why don't we see if you can walk around?" Ratchet offered his servo and helped Cas up further until he was balancing on his own pedes.

He wobbled and clung to the medic. "Easy, I've got you. I won't let you fall."

They practiced walking around on pedes until Cas got the nack for it. "Rrratchet? Optimuss?" He stated clumsily, making new sounds with his vocalizer.

"We can go find if you think you're up for it." He nodded.

Ratchet helped Cas out of the medbay and into the base proper. Optimus and Starscream were in conference with Prowl, Soundwave, Jazz, and Shockwave. Discussing the peace and an agreement to work together to return to Cybertron and move it to a mid-earth/Mars orbit. But Ratchet knew Optimus would want to see Cas and it would assure Starscream and Soundwave they meant business.

"Ooptimusss." Everyone turned as Cas's voice.

"Cas?" Optimus stood from his chair as the Decepticons looked past the Prime from their viewscreens. "Cas, you look well. You're on your own two feet. Excellent." Optimus went to him and hugged him gently.

Cas hugged him back with a happy sound.

"Something you want to share with the class, Prime?" Starscream cut in a few moments later.  
Optimus stepped aside and brought Cas to the forefront. "This is Cas's mechanoid form. Cas, Starscream and Soundwave recognized you were a mech and told us."

Before Cas had basked in attention, now as a mech he wasn't sure what to do and retreated into Ratchet's arms.

"It's good to see you free." Starscream smirked. "But perhaps you should take him somewhere quiet, medic."

"Come on, Cas."

Cas put his arms around the medic's and let himself be led back to the medbay. Everything was strange, but Ratchet was still warm and calming.

He nuzzled in and knew that as long as he had Ratchet everything would be all right.


End file.
